China’s GPS system, the Beidou Navigation System (Beidou), now covers only China and its neighbouring areas. Its special characteristic is the capability of message communication between users of the system.

Now the Chinese military’s mouthpiece, The PLA Daily, reports that China has just launched the 17th satellite for its Beidou Navigation System. The report says it is the beginning of intensive missile launches to expand the system to cover the entire world by 2020.

In 2015, China will launch 3 or 4 more satellites with technological innovations to make the system more accurate. The system, when completed, will consist of 5 geostatic and 30 non-geostatic communications satellites.

What is new in this project is that the life of service of a satellite will be lengthened from 8 to more than 10 or 12 years and the accuracy will be double or triple, with error reduced to 2 or 3 meters.

Moreover, with smaller and lighter components the size and weight of each satellite has significantly reduced so that several satellites can be launched by one rocket.

There is also improvement in the rocket with the addition of one fourth stage so that the rocket serves as a ferry to send a few satellites direct to their high orbits. China will further reduce the size and weight of the satellites to greatly reduce the cost of each satellite.

Chinese experts point out the three new characteristics in the expansion project:

First, there are no changes of orbit before reaching the final high orbit of a satellite. As a result the satellite may be sent to its high orbit within 6 hours.

Second, there are communication chains between the satellites to enable the GPS system to navigate on its own.

Third, as mentioned above, the satellites used in the system are significantly smaller and lighter to greatly reduce launching costs.

Source: PLA Daily “China resumes intensive launches of Beidou GPS satellites to enable its Beidou Navigation System to cover the entire world” and “Experts on three technological characteristics of the new generation of Beidou Navigation satellites” (summary by Chan Kai Yee based on the reports in Chinese”

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About chankaiyee2

Author of the book "Tiananmen's Tremendous Achievements" about how with the help of Tiananmen Protests, talented scholars with moral integrity seized power in the Party and state and brought prosperity to China.
The second edition of the book will be published within a few days to mark the 25th anniversary of Tiananmen Protests
All the parts in the first edition remain in the second edition with a few changes due to information available later and better understanding. There are also some changes for improvements of style.
The new parts are Chapters 12-19 on events in China after the first edition was published: The fierce power struggle for succession between reformists and conservatives; Xi Jinping winning all elders’ support during his mysterious disappearance for 2 weeks in early September, 2012; and Xi Jinping Cyclone.
Chan Kai Yee's new book:
SPACE ERA STRATEGY: The Way China Beats The US
An eye-opening book that tells the truth how the US is losing to China.
The US is losing as it adopts the outdated strategy of Air-Sea Battle while China adopts the space era strategy to pursue integrated space and air capabilities:
It is losing due to its diplomacy that has given rise to Russian-Chinese alliance.
US outdated strategy has enabled China to catch up and surpass the US in key weapons:
Hypersonic weapons (HGV) that Pentagon regards as the weapon that will dominate the world in the future.
Aerospaceplane in China’s development of space-air bomber that can engage enemy anywhere in the world within an hour and destroy an entire aircraft carrier battle group within minutes.
Anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons, anti-ASAT weapons, stealth aircrafts, drones, AEW&C, etc. The book gives detailed descriptions of China’s weapon development based on information mainly from Chinese sources that the author monitors closely.
U.S. Must Not Be Beaten by China!
China is not a democracy. Its political system cannot prevent the emergence of a despotic leader or stop such a leader when he begins to bring disasters to people. A few decades ago, Mao Zedong, the worst tyrant in world history did emerge and bring disasters to Chinese people. He wanted to fight a nuclear war to replace capitalism with communism but could not bring nuclear holocaust to world people as China was too weak and poor at that time.
If a despot like Mao Zedong emerges when China has surpassed the US in military strength, world people will suffer the misery experienced by Chinese people in Mao era.
China surpassing the US in GDP is not something to worry about as China has the heavy burden to satisfy its huge population, but China surpassing the US in military strength will be world people’s greatest concern if China remains an autocracy.
US people are of much better quality than Chinese people. What they lack is a wise leader to adopt the correct strategy and diplomacy and the creative ways to use its resources in developing its military capabilities. I hope that with the emergence of a great leader, the US can put an end to its decline and remain number one in the world.
China, US, space era strategy, air-sea battle, space-air bomber, arms race, weapon development, chan kai yee